er brother and attendants, who made haste
to Spain, and, in a few months, sent the sum of four thousand pounds
sterling, as a ransom for his sister. The Turk took the money, which
he presented to her, and told her she was at liberty. But the lady
very discreetly weighed the different treatment she was likely to
find in her native country. Her relations (as the kindest thing they
could do for her in her present circumstances) would certainly
confine her to a nunnery for the rest of her days.--Her infidel
lover was very handsome, very tender, very fond of her, and lavished
at her feet all the Turkish magnificence. She answered him very
resolutely, that her liberty was not so precious to her as her
honour; that he could no way restore that, but by marrying her; and
she therefore desired him to accept the ransom as her portion, and
give her the satisfaction of knowing, that no man could boast of her
favours, without being her husband. The admiral was transported at
this kind offer, and sent back the money to her relations, saying, he
was too happy in her possession. He married her, and never took any
other wife, and (as she says herself) she never had reason to repent
the choice she made. He left her, some years after, one of the
richest widows in Constantinople. But there is no remaining
honourably a single woman, and that consideration has obliged her to
marry the present captain bassa (i.e. admiral) his successor.--I am
afraid that you will think my friend fell in love with her ravisher;
but I am willing to take her word for it, that she acted wholly on
principles of honour, though I think she might be reasonably touched
at his generosity, which is often found amongst the Turks of rank.

'TIS a degree of generosity to tell the truth, and 'tis very rare
that any Turk will assert a solemn falsehood. I don't speak of the
lowest sort; for as there is a great deal of ignorance, there is very
little virtue amongst them; and false witnesses are much cheaper than
in Christendom; those wretches not being punished (even when they are
publicly detected) with the rigour they ought to be.

NOW I am speaking of their law, I don't know whether I have ever
mentioned to you one custom peculiar to their country, I mean
_adoption_, very common amongst the Turks, and yet more amongst the
Greeks and Armenians. Not having it in their power to give their
estates to a friend or distant relation; to avoid its falling into
the grand s